Saturday, January 23, 2016

Singleton warns of the dangers of putting hair from a gray mule's tail in water

George Buster Singleton

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator
George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere
in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Old sayings never die; they just
fade in time” was originally published in the Jan. 25, 1996 edition of The
Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

Throughout the early days of this country, many of the local
people depended on the old sayings that were handed down from generation to
generation.

Today, we have forgotten these sayings and predictions of
the weather and the signs of the heavens and the many things to look for in the
event of a coming marriage or of birth or death. We have no place for
predictions about our farm animals and the seasons of the year. Since farming
has become so technical, you would consider someone crazy if they related these
old tales and sayings.

In talking to a group of senior citizens a short time ago,
all tried to remember a few of these sayings that circulated around the
countryside during the years of their childhoods. I was asked to relay to my
readers some of those that I remember from the early days there on the farm.

I have collected and written down hundreds of these old sayings.
Since my space is limited, I will only mention a few that might be of interest,
in case any of my readers decided to marry or start farming as they did in the
old days when the mule was the main link in a successful farm.

First, we will talk about love and marriage and some
suggestions on the starting of a family.

It is said that if a young lady puts onions under her bed,
it will attract a boyfriend to her house. Should you get lipstick on your
teeth, it is a sign that your boyfriend loves you. If you have a dimple in your
chin, many hearts you will win. Then, if a girl has a dimple in her chin, she is
not to be trusted.

Remember, it’s bad luck to marry exactly on the hour. And,
remember, girls when you are washing your hands and get water on the front of
your dress, you are going to marry a drunkard. A young lady should never have a
pet cat before she considers marriage; she will be an old maid always. Also, a
young lady should never marry a man whose last name starts with the same letter
as hers.

Here are a few tips on pregnancy and childbirth. If a
pregnant woman crawls out of bed over her husband, he will be the one who will
have morning sickness. If a woman loses a tooth for each child she has, her
feet will grow a size larger for each child. If an unborn child is overdue, it
will be born on the first full moon.

Once the marriage and the starting of the family are over,
it is time to begin to notice the seasons for the planting and harvesting the
crops that are to come.

Here are a few tips that might help. Should the bark grow
heavy on the trees in the summer, look for a cold winter. And, if it thunders
in February, it will frost that same day in April. Also, an extra skin on
onions means that it will be an extra hard coming winter.

Should it rain on Easter Sunday, it will on the following
four Sundays. Always keep an eye on your pet cat; if it sneezes, that is a sure
sign of rain. Should you need rain for your crops, kill a snake and hang it in
a bush. This is a sure bet that it will rain. If chickens roll in the sand,
this is a sure sign of rain.

To those of you who might be starting out, here are a few
hints on planting and the gathering of the crops.

Remember that dark nights during Christmas mean a good crop
year. It is said that if the month of March is wet, it will be a bad crop year.
For a good crop of beans, plant them on a full moon. Never plant vegetables
that grow on vines during the evening hours. Another good sign is to plant
crops when the dogwood leaves are about the size of a possum’s ear. Stoop close
to the ground to plant okra, and it will start bearing close to the ground.

To make sure that your pepper is hot, be sure that you are
angry when you plant it. Never plant your peas until the whip-o-wills start singing.
Don’t forget to plant your watermelons during the full moon.

Some signs to look for that will bring good luck during
these hard-working days on the farm are always good to know. For example,
always carry a bone of a black cat in your pocket; this will always bring good
luck. Always eat dried peas and hog jowls on New Year’s Day; this will surely
bring you good luck. Search for a turtle with a broken tail; this, too, is a
sure sign of good things to come.

Always, if you see a gray mule, kiss it on the nose; this is
a good luck charm that never fails (that is, if you don’t mind kissing a mule).
Each time you find a dead frog, draw a circle around it, spit on it and make a
wish. This is a sure way for your wish to come true.

With all good luck, there are signs of the bad. Here are a few
pointers to watch for.

Never carry the ashes out after dark. Make sure that your
first visitor on New Year’s Day is not a lady; this always brings bad luck.
Never wear other people’s new clothing before they wear them. Should you make the
mistake of cutting your fingernails or toenails on Sunday, this will surely
bring on bad luck. You should never comb your hair on New Year’s Day.

Never sit in a window or carry a yard rake into the house.
And, remember, a wife should never buy her husband a ring after they are
married; this brings bad luck by the sackful.

Never let the sun go down without naming a new baby. Never
count your teeth; this also will bring on bad luck. And never, never wash
yourself on the Friday before and after Christmas. If you should ever borrow
salt, never pay it back; this is bad luck. Never sing at the eating table, and
never sit with your legs crossed on Sunday.

Another good pointer to remember is to never wash clothes or
mop or make beds on Monday. To fall over a chair is always bad luck and to
sweep the floor with two brooms at a time is a no-no.

You should never take a salt shaker from someone else
without first setting it down. You should never gather eggs after dark. Be sure
to never watch someone go out of sight whenever they are going somewhere. Never
walk on the cracks in a sidewalk. Be sure never to sweep the bottom doorstep or
stir your buttermilk with a knife. These will surely bring on bad luck.

Never cook onions and potatoes at the same time, or use the
eraser of a pencil before the pencil is sharpened. And above all, never go
possum-hunting before sundown; you will never catch a possum if you do this.

In writing this article, I have tried to pass on some good
points and information to those who might need and use it. If I have helped
someone in just a small way, my time has been spent wisely. So, in closing, I
leave for you this bit of information; take heed: never put the hair of a gray
mule’s tail in a glass of water. It will surely turn into a snake.

Know and remember these things; they are very important.

(Singleton, the
author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the
age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born on
Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School, served
in the Korean War, moved to Monroe County in 1961 and served as the
administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from 1964 to 1987. For
years, Singleton’s column “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal,
and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in
Alabama Life magazine. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The
column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public
through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in
Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and
scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory
alive.)